Banjo-bridge.



E. L. GRIPFIS.

BANJO BRIDGE. K APPLIoATIoN FILED MAY1a,191o. V

Patented Got. 25, 1910.

ELIAS L. GRIFFIS, OF PEARSON, GEORGIA.

BANJO-BRIDGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

Application led May 13, 1910. Serial No. 561,107'.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAS L. Gnlrrrs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pearson, in the county of Coffee and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Banjo-Bridges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in bridges for stringedmusical instruments, and has for its object the provision of a bridge particularly applicable to banjos and similar stringed instruments wherein the sound is produced by what is known as picking7 the device being so constructed that tilting or displacement will be positively prevented during the operation of playing.

lith these and other objects in view, which will more fully hereinafter appear, the present invention consists in certain novel details of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularlyT pointed out in the appended claims; it being understood that varions changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of the device may be made within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specitication;-Figure l is a perspective view of the support. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the bridge or cross bar. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the parts in assembled position. Fig. is a transverse sectional view.

Similar numerals of reference are emn ployed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

The support is designated by the numeral 5 and is preferably of wood, and in contour corresponds to a cross section removed from a point adjacent to the lower base of a hollow elliptic conoid. The base will be of suitable size and when positioned on the head of a banjo or analogous stringed musical instrument its long axis will extend transverse the length of the instrument.

Formed at the vertices of the support and on the upper face thereof are alining dove-tailed recesses 7 and S, which receive l l l.

the opposite end portions of the cross bar or bridge member designated by the numeral 6. The bridge or cross bar is preferably of metal and is triangular in cross section, the altitude of the bridge or cross bar being somewhat greater than the depths of the recesses 7 and S. so that when the bridge is positioned in the recesses 7 and S its upper edge will be above the surface of the supportto engage with the strings, the upper surface of the bridge having spaced transverse slots or notches 9 to receive the strings.

It will be observed in the use of the device thatthe support will in no way interfere with the fingers of the operator and owing to the relatively large area of the support the danger of tilting and displacement which is always present in the common form of bridges, will be positively prevented.

claim l. A bridge for stringed musical instruments comprising an elliptical supporting frame provided on its upper surface with a pair of oppositely disposed slots, and a cross bar of triangular cross section extending in the direction of the long axis of the frame and having its opposite ends removably secured in said slots.

Q. A bridge for stringed musical instruments comprising a substantially annular supporting frame, a cro-ss bar extending transverse the frame and having its opposite ends secured to the upper side of said frame.

3. A. bridge for stringed musical instruments comprising a substantially annular supporting frame provided on its upper surface with oppositely disposed slots. a cross bar extending transverse the frame and having a portion of its surface extending above the plane of the upper side of the frame. and its opposite ends arranged in said slots.

In testimony whereof l aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

witnesses c J. L. DAnLnr, B. lV. ConNnmns. 

